Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Wales Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Griffiths Excerpts
Wednesday 18th November 2015

(8 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alun Cairns Portrait Alun Cairns
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Estate reform of the Courts Service must continue, but that is allied to the digital transformation that the Government are bringing about. A total of £69 million has been invested in broadband services in Wales, in addition to European aid and Welsh Government money. We have also announced a consultation on a minimum service requirement for broadband distribution, and I hope that the hon. Gentleman will welcome that.

Andrew Griffiths Portrait Andrew Griffiths (Burton) (Con)
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3. What assessment he has made of trends in the level of inward investment in Wales.

Stephen Crabb Portrait The Secretary of State for Wales (Stephen Crabb)
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Almost exactly one year on from the UK investment summit in Newport, inward investment figures for Wales show the best performance for a quarter of a century. This is no coincidence. With the support and assistance of UK Trade & Investment and the UK Government, Wales continues to provide a world-class offer for foreign investors.

Andrew Griffiths Portrait Andrew Griffiths
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Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating all the workers in Wales who make it such a brilliant place in which to invest? Does he agree that this record investment shows that the Government’s long-term economic plan is working?

Stephen Crabb Portrait Stephen Crabb
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I completely agree with my hon. Friend. The economy in Wales is getting stronger, thanks partly to new inward investment. Just a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of welcoming Israeli investors to south Wales, where they announced £3 million of new investment, creating almost 100 new jobs. We should all be encouraged by the fact that inward investment in Wales is back to the level of the days of the Welsh Development Agency before the Welsh Labour Government abolished it.